35., 35.1, 35.2, 35.3 March 7, 1968: Thank you Birthday Letters from Barbara, Vicki, Amy, and March 10, 1968 Diane, to Grandparents Line

 35. March 7

Dear Mom and Dad, (Line from Barb)

Got your letter with birthday check yesterday. I think that is pretty speedy service. Thank you so much for the money. Think we’ll put it in the travel fund. Last trip was so enjoyable, I’m looking forward to the next one.

The birthdays were pretty quiet. We went to a movie on Sunday night. Haddens in Embu got the film “Texas Across the Border” from somewhere and invited everyone to come and see it.

I baked cakes trying different combinations as suggested by the high altitude Colorado leaflet. After four cakes the last one looked a little more like it should, but there still needs to be a few changes. We ate them all and had enough strawberries to have some on one cake with ice cream. That was my cake! Amy got a big box of water paints and Vicki got a recorder, which is a musical instrument like a tonette. She has learned the notes and has been playing tunes that are recognizable. Everyone gave me a vinegar cruet and a $5 bill beside the nice short hair cut! I have been enjoying the hair especially in all this rain!

Yesterday Frank planted the sweet peas and morning glory. I got a card from Rich mailed the same day as your letter, March 1, in Pocatello, and it got here at the same time. His had 25¢ postage and yours 20¢ and they both came by air mail with just ten¢ on it!

Your nice spring weather makes me homesick. It must be the change that makes spring exciting. People here never seem to pay much attention to the weather. It’s sameness makes it less interesting. It is wetter or dryer, but the landscape stays much the same.

Our new lamp is finished. It has a great round clay pot for a base and a tall shade covered with gold cloth. I found the cloth in Embu for ten shillings a yard!

Thanks again for the present. Love, Barb

35.1 Dear Grandma and Grandpa (Line from Vicki)

Thank you for the money. Don’t know what I’ll spend it on, perhaps a trip. Yesterday, I got a package from one of my friends at home, I thought, gee, she hasn’t forgotten after all! She hadn’t written for some time. Turns out it was a Christmas present! Three months delivery time! That’s a record! She put in a note, turns out she had written, but it got lost in transit. Probably from Embu to here when they guy tripped over his bike…

I started my eighth grade course today. It’s kind of fun. I hadn’t expected that. I thought it would be pretty hard. This is my composition for the week. I can’t think of anything else to say. Nothing ever happens around here.

Love, Vicki

35.2 Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

Thank you for the money. It made my Birthday very Happy! It’s raining cats and dogs right now. Well I guess my space is running out.

Love, Amy,

P.S. I’ll write a longer letter next time.

35.3 March 10,

Dear Grandma and Grandpa, (Line from Diane)

Things have moved so slowly this week. Nothing happened! We just sat around. About the only thing I look forward to anymore are the “exits” and even they are pretty bad when you don’t go out.

I started doing my Algebra during rest period and just before lights out. Everyone thinks I’m crazy for doing Algebra, when I could be reading James Bond, but I just think they’re envious because they don't understand Algebra. I’ve finally gotten to where I can do Algebra pretty good. I get four out of five right almost every time I try. I used to have to struggle so hard, and now it all comes so easy! I guess practice makes perfect. Algebra is quite fun if you put your mind to it.

I also started a book called “Read Better Read Faster.” I started out reading 197 words a minute which is just about as slow as you can get and still be on the scale. Now I can read about 220 words a minute, but I don’t understand it as well. That will probably come with practice too.

About the only class I really enjoy besides my Algebra class (one student - me) is my P.E. class. We take modern dance, gymnastics, and swimming. They are all fun, but I like swimming best. It’s usually a free period where you can swim any way or do anything in the pool you like. Sometimes we play water polo, which is kind of like water basketball. It’s fun but it sure wears a guy out. I’ve been learning how to dive. I’m getting pretty good at it, but I doubt if I’ll ever be a champ. It is fun though.

In modern dance we have to work up the choreography to a dance about a nightmare. Some of the people have to be the person sleeping and the rest of us are the nightmares. It would be fun if they hadn’t chosen me to make up the choreography for the nightmare people. Why do they always choose me? They never pick anyone else if they can help it. It gets on my nerves a little bit.

It’s still raining today. I had been hoping that today would be nice and bright, but you can’t have everything. It’s sort of cold, but I’m going swimming anyway. This is the first time I’ve gone swimming in March.

The birthdays have passed! I felt a little funny being away from home. It would have been fun to be there. Got to go. Love, Diane